An English force returns to Dunsinane.
The Great Hall is now an encampment.
A fire, some food, and a chance to rest.
The English bring with them a cart.
On the cart, a body.
After we buried Tom and John the Cook and Henry
And Harry and Dan the Falconer we set out again
To fetch back the Queen and her son to Dunsinane.
For four weeks we ranged for them across the hills and,
Mother, you have not seen hills like these – never –
Unless you’ve been to either Hell or Scotland –
And I don’t expect you’ve been to either place.
These hills rise up in great grey slabs at crazy angles
So steep the green just slides off of them – or else they stand
Like black ships on a sea of watery moor – or else some of them
Look like the backs of beasts, a bear say or a cow – a giant cow
Lying down – a sick cow, so it’s twisted and lying down –
Not on a field of nice grass, no – but on a pile of more
Rolled and twisted beasts under it – a heap – a heap of beasts.
And the paths up these hills, Mother, they’re as narrow and wet
As the scramble from beach to clifftop – only more narrow –
And more wet – and these cliffs rise a mile up and it’s not beach below
But the black waters of one of these freezing lakes they have
That nothing lives in and on top of the hills nothing but snow –
Fields of frozen snow – and a cloud that never seems to lift.
But these are the places where our enemies hide and so
These are the places where we look for them – walking behind
Our commander who goes ahead of us always – marching on
Into the mist – the sound of his armour sometimes is all we hear
As we walk up into the dark glen. Not much to talk about
And no songs as these hills make a punishment of every day.
But Siward says we must insist on understanding this country
Even if its people insist on resisting us, so he finds high places
And he says, ‘Down there and there and there and there
Is where they’re likely hiding.’ And so we go down there and there
To clear whatever cave or bothy he’s found and smoke out who’s in it
And if we meet a fight we set about it hard, Mother – and we always win.
We win because if we don’t win – we lose – and if we lose – Then what?
The English return from the expedition.
Egham enters.
Egham Morning, lads.
— Morning, Sir.
Egham Oh.
Dead?
— Yes, Sir.
Egham Who?
— Edward.
Egham Edward?
— Edward the archer, Sir.
Egham Fuck.
How?
— Cow trod on him.
— In the night, Sir.
— In Glen Lyon.
— We heard word that the Queen’s son was hiding there.
— So Siward marched us.
— Overnight.
— Once we got there.
— We waited till it got dark and then.
— He says, ‘Surround the village.’
— So we took positions in the woods and fields and wait.
— Silent.
— Edward took a position too.
— Lay down on the ground of a field.
— And waits.
— And in the night a cow.
— Must’ve broke it.
— A great big hairy cow.
— Crack.
— Edward didn’t say anything.
— He didn’t even make a noise.
— I was right next to him all night.
— Nothing.
— In the morning – Siward shouts and we attack –
— We surprise them.
— They’re in their beds.
— We win.
— It’s easy.
— Afterwards we gather all their men together.
— We gather all their women and children.
— There’s all that sorting to be done.
— Siward walks up the line of them.
— ‘Where’s the Queen’s son?’
— That’s Siward.
— ‘Which one of these boys is the Queen’s son?’
— No one speaks.
— Silence.
— No matter how hard we make it for them.
— No one speaks.
— So Siward says if they won’t tell us which boy it is – we’ll take all the boys.
— So –
— Well –
— Well we’ve still got to sort the rest of them –
— It’s hard work – it’s a hard day –
— Fire and smoke.
— Anyway.
— It’s long into the afternoon before we come to leaving and that’s when we realise.
— No Edward.
— I found him.
— I found him.
— We both found him.
— A whole day he’d been lying there in the field.
— We put him on the back of the cart, but he was dead by yesterday.
— Poor Edward.
— He didn’t say a word that whole night.
— If he’d made a noise they would have heard us.
— But he didn’t make a sound.
— Not a sound.
Egham Must have hurt.
— Must have, Sir.
Egham Poor Edward.
Egham Take him up to the field and bury him.
— Yes, Sir.
— Shall we bring in the prisoners, Sir?
Egham Bring them in.
The English Soldiers lead in a small group of teenage
boys.
They boys are tied together in a chain so they can’t
escape.
Egham Only boys.
— Siward said only take the boys.
Egham What did you do with the men?
— Burned them.
*
Siward’s rooms.
Siward takes off his armour and his boots, and washes the soot off his face.
The Boy Soldier attends to him.
Egham You burned them?
Siward That’s right.
Egham Alive?
Siward Yes.
Egham Right.
…
Burned them alive?
Siward Yes.
Siward What?
Egham It’s just it’s –
Siward What?
Egham It’s –
Siward What?
Egham It’s a bit Scandinavian, isn’t it?
Siward Every man had a chance to speak.
One of those boys is the Queen’s son.
If even one of those men had spoken
They could all be alive now.
Egham I can understand threatening people or bullying or torturing even – you expect to have to do that because those are reasonable – effective even – ways to glean – because one wants information – but to burn people alive?
That makes them dead.
Siward If we make a threat we have to follow it through.
Egham You could have brought them back to Dunsinane. At least there’s a value in hostages. There’s no value in corpses.
Siward This is not a war in pursuit of wealth, Egham.
Egham What is it in pursuit of then?
Siward Peace.
Egham Well, do we have to be quite so ruthless in the pursuit of peace?
Siward Every day one or other of our boys comes back to us laid out on a cart and marked with wounds which come from her arrows – cuts which come from her knives. She is ruthless. So we have to be ruthless.
Egham They’re not fighting us because of their Queen. They’re fighting us because we’re here. The Scots will fight anyone who’s standing in front of them. They like fighting. In fact – they’re fighting us partly because we’re stopping them from fighting each other.
Siward English or Scottish – people cluster behind the side they think is the stronger. They must believe we are the stronger.
Egham Do you think burning them helps?
Siward It shows we’re determined.
Egham Determined to do what?
Siward Determined to win.
Egham This war belongs to Malcolm and Macduff. Let them do what’s best to secure the country for themselves and let’s leave a garrison on the Forth to protect Northumbria and let’s you and I go back to England – let’s let you go back to your rivers and moors and farms and let me go back to Surrey where it’s warm and I’ve got fields and a wife.
Siward You sound like you would prefer us to be defeated.
Egham Who said ‘defeated’? I didn’t say ‘defeated’. Did you say ‘defeated’? I didn’t say ‘defeated’. I said ‘leave’.
Siward ‘Defeated’ – ‘leave’ – what’s the difference?
Egham All the difference.
Siward We will leave when we win.
Egham Winning isn’t a fact, Siward – winning is a decision we take.
Siward Egham – look out there.
The Queen is free.
She is killing our men every day.
In ambush, massacre and trick.
Does that look like winning to you?
Egham I could be persuaded.
Siward One of those boys is hers.
Find him.
*
The castle yard.
The Hen Girl enters.
Soldiers notice.
The Hen Girl walks along the line of prisoners and gives them some bread and some water.
The Hen Girl continues down the line in silence.
The Soldiers watch.
— Which one do you think it is?
— The one with the eyes.
— They’ve all got eyes.
— The one with the eyes that look right at you.
— Why?
— Look at the way he’s looking at us.
Full of –
— Contempt?
— No –
— Pity?
— What?
— As though we’re very far away from him.
Very small.
— Oh.
— Might just be bad eyesight.
— Looks don’t mean anything. You could take a girl – take any girl – take the hen girl for example –
— Just for example –
— Put her in a blue gown – dress the hen girl in a royal-blue gown then see how she’d look at us –
— Still wouldn’t make her a princess.
— Would make her look like a princess.
— She looks like a princess now.
— I can just see her – walking across the hall floor in the light of a fire –
— Who?
— The hen girl.
Walking across the hall floor in her blue gown.
Beautiful.
— Too beautiful for you.
— Soft hands.
— The hen girl?
— The Queen’s son.
— Not necessarily.
— I think we’d know him because he’d have the sort of soft hands you get if you’ve spent your life touching leather and swan and horses and butter and things of that type.
— I don’t think so.
— Soft things.
— This Queen’s son’s been a long time away from butter.
— This Queen’s son’s been out in the woods.
— He’s been riding and fighting.
— This Queen’s son’s hands would be the same as yours or mine – hard.
— Silken hair.
— Silken hair?
— Silken hair.
— What are you talking about?
— We will know him by his silken hair.
— Why?
— That’s what songs say.
— Songs?
— ‘There came a noble prince with silken hair.’
— Which song is that?
— I don’t know exactly but –
— Sing it –
— No. I’m not saying it is a song, I’m saying that it’s like a song.
— (Sings.) ‘There came a noble prince with silken hair.’
— Stop it.
— ‘And I did bum his bottom bare.’
— I just said –
— ‘And I did stroke his pubic hair.’
— All right.
That’s enough.
— ‘Of hairy balls he had a pair.’
— Enough!
— I’m only saying –
— Princesses have silken hair.
Maidens have silken hair.
Ladies fair have silken hair.
Not princes.
Princes are bold, handsome and cruel.
— Then it’s none of these boys.
No bold handsome cruel princes here.
These princes are small – small, spotty and afraid.
— I still think it’s the one with the eyes.
One Prisoner talks to the Hen Girl as she feeds him.
Prisoner [Thank you. You’re kind.]
Hen Girl [I will bring you more food if I can.]
Prisoner [What will they do to us?]
Hen Girl [I can’t speak to you.
They’ll hit me for speaking.]
— Quiet!
— Oi!
— No speaking.
A Soldier hits the Prisoner who spoke.
He raises a hand to strike the Hen Girl.
The Soldier doesn’t hit the Hen Girl.
The Hen Girl smiles at the Soldier who spoke.
He smiles back.
— Look at her.
In that blue gown.
Walking across the floor of the hall,
Silken hair.
Look at her.
Princess.
Egham enters.
He looks at the prisoners.
Which one do you want to talk to first, Sir?
Egham This one.
— Which one?
Egham The one with the eyes.
A Prisoner is chosen.
Strip him.
…
DO IT.
The Soldiers begin to strip the boy.
The boy resists. He shouts – fights.
He is afraid.
The boy is subdued.
Egham looks at the boy.
It’s not him.
Scars on his back from a whipping.
Nobody whips princes.
Egham looks down the line again.
This one.
The next boy is stripped.
He resists.
He is angry.
Egham studies this boy.
Skin and bones.
Never a prince that badly fed.
…
This one.
The next boy is stripped.
The one with the eyes.
He is calm.
Egham inspects the third boy.
The Soldier turns the boy round.
— Sir –
Egham What?
On his ankle, Sir.
Egham looks.
A tattoo.
Egham Three snakes devouring a moon.
…
His skin’s unbroken.
What sort of boy reaches fifteen and has unbroken skin?
What sort of boy hasn’t even ever fallen out of a tree?
Untie him.
The Soldiers separate the boy from the others.
Look at you.
A bundle of bones and breath and not much else.
It seems cold to kill you.
I know you can’t understand my words
But maybe you can hear it in my voice.
I’m sorry.
But I really really want to go home.
…
Take him to Siward.
— What shall we do with the rest of them, Sir?
Egham Put them on a cart.
Take them to Perth.
Sell them as slaves to the Danes there.
Divide what gold you get between you all.
That’s your reward.
Go.
— Sir.
Egham What?
— Sir… this one’s got a tattoo as well.
Egham What?
Egham looks. Another boy, another tattoo.
— Sir … this one does too.
— Sir … and this one.
— Sir … I think they might all have tattoos, Sir.
Egham FUCK!
FUCK!
Egham hits the boy he chose.
Which one of you is the King?
Which one of you is the fucking King?
The boy cringes beneath the blows.
*
Malcolm entertains two Scottish chiefs with drink and food.
A girl sings a Gaelic song, maybe she plays the harp.
Siward enters.
Malcolm Siward, you’re back.
Siward You called for me.
Malcolm Come and join us.
Siward I was expecting a private audience.
Malcolm But we have visitors.
The Chiefs of Kintyre and Luss,
And they’ve come all this way.
Isn’t she beautiful?
She’s from Ireland.
Luss brought her.
He knows my tastes.
Have a drink.
Siward I’ll return when you’re less busy.
Malcolm dismisses the singer.
Malcolm Here – take some wine.
Go to my bed and prepare another song.
Something about love.
Make sure it’s got plenty of verses.
He introduces the two Chiefs.
Luss – Kintyre – this is our commander, Siward.
Luss We’ve waited to meet you.
Kintyre And here you are.
Luss But now you’re here.
Kintyre We’re ashamed.
Luss We don’t have a gift for you.
Siward I don’t expect to receive gifts.
Luss No.
Kintyre We heard that.
Luss You receive no gifts.
Kintyre But we do expect to give them.
Luss It’s our custom.
Kintyre It’s a matter of honour.
Luss We have to bring you something.
Kintyre Gold. Or meat. Or a woman.
Luss Even if you don’t want the gift given.
Kintyre But we don’t know what you like.
Siward It’s not important.
Luss All this time you’ve been here and still we don’t know.
Kintyre You English.
Luss You keep your desires a secret.
Kintyre Malcolm likes women.
Luss What does England like?
Kintyre What gift can we give England?
Luss Can we ask you now?
Kintyre Now that you’re here.
Luss Can we ask?
Kintyre Do you mind?
Luss Now that you’re here in Scotland.
Both What do you want?
Siward Peace.
Kintyre Mmm.
Luss Well.
Kintyre Peace.
Luss You’re sure you don’t want a girl?
Kintyre Or a boy?
Luss Only peace.
Kintyre That’s a difficult gift.
Luss We don’t have it to give.
Kintyre We used to have peace but …
Luss Not now.
Kintyre Not any more.
Luss Still – if we didn’t bring peace.
Kintyre Maybe we can leave it – by going.
Luss Leave you in peace – he means.
Kintyre It’s a play on the words.
Siward I understood.
Kintyre Let that be our gift then.
Luss We give you the gift of our going.
Siward I accept.
Thank you.
Luss and Kintyre leave.
Siward I didn’t want to end your party.
Malcolm But nevertheless you did.
Siward I apologise.
Malcolm The chiefs told me that you’ve been off travelling again.
Siward Yes.
Malcolm Crossing the country in pursuit of the Queen.
Siward I made some progress this time.
Malcolm They say you show no mercy.
Siward I will cut off the rebellion at its head.
Malcolm It’s a very astute strategy.
At least it would have been when she was in our custody.
Siward This time we made a breakthrough.
Malcolm Mmm.
Siward Egham heard the Queen’s son was hiding in Glen Lyon. I swept the valley and collected every boy of the right age.
Egham is conducting interrogations now.
We’ll find him.
Malcolm It really seems the war is progressing – strongly.
Siward I hope so.
Malcolm Good.
Siward Yes.
Malcolm Only I wonder if it isn’t progressing too strongly.
Siward What?
Malcolm Talking to the chiefs.
You know how they talk.
Grievance after grievance.
I drift.
And I found myself wondering
If things aren’t going too well.
Siward How is that possible?
Malcolm Siward – my chiefs don’t offer me fealty out of moral concern or even love –
Siward They offer you fealty because you are the rightful king.
Malcolm Wouldn’t that be good if they did?
But no.
They offer me fealty because I am weak. I don’t threaten them. The stronger I am, the more they begin to wonder if one day I might be strong enough to – overpower them. They start wondering if it isn’t in their interest to balance my power by supporting the Queen.
Siward The Chief in Glen Lyon was on the Queen’s side.
Now he knows that was not in his interest.
Malcolm In so far as he’s dead. Yes.
I would have preferred you to show restraint.
Siward You don’t restrain a dog when he’s chasing a deer.
Not if you want to get fed.
Malcolm Glen Lyon was not a dangerous man, Siward, he was a coward. He was quietly waiting to see which way this war went. Now that you’ve killed him – his relatives have been forced to decide which side they’re on. It seems now they’ve joined the Queen.
Siward Then I will send a troop up that valley again and I will burn it again.
Malcolm Why on earth would you want to do that?
Siward To draw a line.
Malcolm Stop.
Siward What?
Malcolm Just –
Siward, please.
You must stop.
Stop this.
This incessant
Definition.
There are patterns of loyalty between us – there are alliances – there are friends who say they’re friends but work against us and others who say they’re enemies but quietly help us – there are networks of obligation between us – there are marriages and births between us – there are narrowly balanced feuds between us – feuds that only need the smallest breath of the wrong word spoken to tip them into war –
There are patterns between us.
And into that very delicate filigree you are putting your fist.
Siward I’m a soldier. I like clarity.
Malcolm Clarity is dangerously close to crudity.
Siward And subtlety is dangerously close to corruption.
Malcolm Be aware that I am listening to the words you choose very carefully.
Siward Good.
Then listen to this.
You disgust me.
Ease.
Song.
Silk.
While out there my boys are dying on your behalf.
You are corrupt, Malcolm.
Depthless.
Weak.
You wallow in your own venality.
It seems.
Malcolm Mmm.
…
Do you ever ask yourself, Siward, if it’s possible that I might in fact want to create the appearance of wallowing in venality?
…
Does that thought ever occur to you?
…
Or is that thought too subtle – too corrupt – a bird for your wooden English hands to catch?
…
They bring me wine – the chiefs – they bring me women – they think – I’m corrupt – I’m weak – I wallow in venality – they think – this King is easy – he won’t cause trouble for us – all he wants is to be left alone to enjoy his wine and his women – let him be King – better him than someone other – better him than someone strong – someone with more – definition.
Let Malcolm stay – at least until someone better comes along …
…
But no one better will ever come along.
Because they’ll all kill each other before they kill me.
…
My weakness is my strength.
Siward That might be a plausible strategy, Malcolm, were it not for the fact that you actually do want to be left alone to enjoy your wine and your women – you actually are weak. It’s not an appearance – it’s true.
Malcolm The best way to maintain the appearance of something being true is for it to actually be true.
Siward This is all words, Malcolm. What do you want me to do? Give up?
Malcolm I don’t want you to stop your enthusiastic pursuit of the Queen, Siward.
I’m just asking you to accomplish it by more nuanced means.
Siward I’m sorry. I don’t know what ‘nuanced means’ means.
Malcolm Withdraw your men to Dunsinane for the winter. Let your soldiers recover. Let me be weak for a while. Let the Queen start to make mistakes. If the chiefs think she might win they’ll soon start to plot against her. We can execute some little raids, assassinations. Let them spend winter in a world of uncertainty.
Then when spring comes – see how they’ll welcome us back.
Siward What about our allies?
Malcolm Give them money.
That’s what I was discussing with Luss and Kintyre just now.
Siward A chief should pay tribute to the King. It isn’t the other way around.
Malcolm You madden me, Siward.
You must take gifts from the chiefs.
A king repays a gift tenfold.
By taking nothing you offer nothing.
Siward I know the game.
It’s corrupt.
I ignored it.
Malcolm Siward, your insistence on governing by force is making being king very difficult for me.
Siward If you find being king becoming tiresome there are chiefs who could take the position from you.
Malcolm Sometimes I find being alive becoming tiresome. Do you know anyone who can take that position from me?
Siward You’re drunk.
Malcolm Join me.
Malcolm offers wine to Siward.
Siward Maybe you’d prefer to go back to England?
Malcolm Lovely England.
No.
But maybe you would like to go back.
Siward Why?
Malcolm I don’t know.
You just seem tired.
Siward, you lost a son in Scotland. Be careful you don’t lose your mind here as well.
Siward I am still commander.
Malcolm And I am still King.
Siward No.
You are not a king, Malcolm. You’re not a king in Scotland. You’re not a king in Dunsinane. You’re not even a king in this room.
Kings rule.
When you talk about kingship you talk about who’s friends with who and who said what and what things mean and what gifts to give …
You make the problems of being a king sound like the problems of being a woman.
You’re right, I’m tired, Malcolm. I’m tired of ‘appear’ and I’m tired of ‘seem’. I only have bone and flesh and mud and bog and metal. That’s the world my power’s in and that’s the world I’ll fight in, and that’s the world in which I’ll win.
Malcolm Mmm.
Siward I’ll win.
*
Night
The castle yard.
A fire.
The English Soldiers sing.
Their song cheers them up.
— Whisky.
— Whisky.
— Where’d it come from?
— Egham.
— Good old Egham.
— To Egham!
— Where did Egham get it?
— Two Scots lords came to see the King and the cook said to me it was one Scots lord who brought a whisky barrel with him.
— And Egham stole it?
— No, Egham bought it.
— What did he buy it with?
— Something.
— There’s always something with Egham.
— He’s clever.
— He’s always got a finger up someone’s arse has Egham.
— No matter where he is he finds someone who’s got something he wants.
— And he gets it.
— Put Egham in the middle of a field of snow.
— On top of these hills.
— And he’d still find someone.
— He’d build a snowman.
— He’d give it a little pair of frosty balls.
— And that snowman would give him water.
— To Egham!
— Cold though.
— Cold.
— Winter coming.
— What shall we fire at?
— George’s shoe.
— All right. George’s shoe.
— What do you get if you hit George’s shoe?
— Whoever hits George’s shoe gets off with the hen girl tonight.
The first Archer fires an arrow at a shoe.
It misses.
— Bollocks.
— Edward would have hit that.
— Edward would have hit it and he would have got off with the hen girl.
— With Edward gone at least you’ve got a chance.
— I’d prefer it if Edward were here.
The third Archer fires.
Misses.
— I’m bored of this.
— Doesn’t help that it’s cold.
— Whisky, though.
— Whisky doesn’t help either.
The Hen Girl enters.
She sits in the firelight.
She looks at the Soldiers.
— Fire it at her.
— What?
— Hen girl.
— No.
— Why?
— I might hit her.
— You couldn’t hit a horse if you were riding it.
— I bloody could hit her.
— Where would you hit her then?
— Hit her right between the legs.
Hit her lips.
Hit her tits.
Take off her dress and hit every inch of her naked body.
Princess.
— Look at the way she’s sitting.
— She looks hungry.
— Poor thing.
— She’s smiling at you.
— She isn’t.
— She is.
— She’s definitely smiling.
— Talk to her.
— I can’t.
— I don’t speak the language.
— You don’t need to speak a girl’s language to talk to her.
— Eh?
— You don’t need words for that.
— Words get in the way.
— It’s all just sounds when you talk to girls.
— She wants to play.
— I don’t know what to do.
— Fire an arrow.
— What?
— Playfully.
— Playfully fire an arrow at her?
How do I fire an arrow playfully?
— Deliberately miss.
— Playfully.
— Yes – she’ll laugh. I promise. She’ll think it’s funny.
— Are you sure?
The first Archer raises his bow – playfully – points it
at the Hen Girl.
The Hen Girl puts her hands up – playfully.
Pretends to be frightened.
Smiles.
— Told you.
— What now?
— Aim to miss.
— What if I miss missing and hit her?
— You won’t.
— I wish Edward was here.
— Do it.
The first Archer raises his bow – playfully. He points it at the Hen Girl.
She raises her hands playfully.
Smiles.
The Archer fires – the Hen Girl screams – the arrow
hits the wall.
The Soldiers laugh.
The Hen Girl recovers from the fright.
Smiles.
She picks up the arrow.
— Go over to her.
She holds out the arrow.
— Go on.
— What are you waiting for?
— All right.
I’m going. I’m going.
The Archer goes over to her.
He stands near her.
A moment.
— Look at him.
— Never kissed a girl.
— Look.
— She’s going to kiss him.
The Hen Girl makes as if to kiss the Soldier.
— God, she’s beautiful.
— God, I wish I were him.
The Hen Girl takes a knife from the folds of her clothes.
She stabs the Soldier.
Once, twice and again.
The Soldier falls to his knees.
— What did you do that for?
The Hen Girl tries to free the prisoners.
Cuts some of them free.
Hen Girl [All of you – rise and fight –
Fight the invader.
Fight.]
Slashes about her with the knife.
Drives back some of the Soldiers.
A fight.
Chaos.
Egham What’s happening! What’s going on?
— She’s killed him!
— She’s killed Eric.
Egham Who?
— The hen girl?
Egham No?
The Hen Girl is fast – she eludes them – cuts some of them. Finally she is cornered.
— I’ve got her, Sir.
— Stand back, Sir.
Egham No.
— I can hit her, Sir.
Egham I want her alive.
— Why?
— Oh –
— Yes.
Egham Girl – put the knife down.
Put it down.
Put it down –
Gently –
The Hen Girl points the knife at herself.
She stabs herself.
She falls.
She dies.
Egham We have got to get out of this fucking country.
*
Dawn.
Women sing a lament.
Men take away the body of the dead Hen Girl.
Siward and Macduff watch.
Siward I don’t understand your people. They don’t behave in the way people I understand behave. They’re a mystery.
Macduff There wasn’t always war here, Siward.
Once there were harvests and markets and courts and monasteries. When I was young you could look down a glen and know the names of everything in it. The names came from colours or the trees that stood there or whose house it was that lived there. Red hill, birch grove, Alistair’s house. But when war comes it doesn’t just destroy things like harvests and monasteries – it destroys the names of things as well. It shadows the landscape like a hawk and whatever name it sees it swoops down and claws it away. Red hill is made the hill of the slaughter. Birch grove is made the grove of sorrow and Alistair’s house is made the place where Ally’s house once was.
We don’t know where we are any more.
We are not mysterious people, Siward, we’re just lost.
Siward Maybe Egham is right. Maybe I should go home.
Macduff I need you to stay and fight.
Siward What would it feel like to desert my own army? To let the command slip away, like taking off my armour. To rise one night in the dark and just to walk out of Dunsinane. Just to disappear in the mist.
Can you imagine?
Macduff I can imagine.
Siward You and I, Macduff – we could start a battle and then leave it. We could walk away in the middle of the fighting and let everyone think we were dead and the wolves taken our bodies.
We could walk and walk until we found a new country.
My wife is dead.
When I rode back to my castle and I found black smoke hanging above the halls I thought about riding hard away. I knew that if I went through the gates to see what was left for me a door would close behind me and it would never open again.
I went in.
I saw.
I could walk and walk now and until the end of time, Siward, but I’ll never find the end of that room.
I can’t leave.
And neither can you.
Egham enters.
Siward Egham – what is it?
Egham The Queen’s son.
We found him.
*
A prison in the castle.
A Scottish Boy – he is covered in blood.
Egham, Siward, Macduff and the Boy Soldier stand over him.
Macduff translates the Scottish Boy’s confession.
Macduff I am the Queen’s son. I have been hiding in the hills near Glen Lyon in the black woods there. In the black woods there is a band of soldiers and my mother. In the woods we plan attacks on the English. My mother’s women are witches. They cast spells. They use plants to make spells which we drink to give to us secret powers. When we drink one drink, then arrows can’t break our skin. We drink another drink, then swords can’t cut us. When we drink another drink we’re made invisible on the hillside. We have charms which poison lochs and charms which bring mist and charms which cause dreams to make the English soldiers sicken. My mother can turn me into a bird. My mother can make my blood run so hot it burns you. My mother has spells that will bring down this castle’s walls. Tomorrow there will be a storm and my mother will bring it. Snow will come and she will bring it.
This is my confession.
Siward Ask him his name?
Macduff [What is your name, boy?]
Scottish Boy [Lulach.]
Macduff Lulach.
Siward Lulach.
How do you say, ‘If it’s true – sign the confession.’
Macduff You say to him – [Boy, do you sign?]
Siward Say that again.
Macduff [Boy, do you sign?]
Siward [Lulach – boy, do you sign?]
The Scottish Boy is given a pen.
He doesn’t look at the confession.
He marks it with a cross.
Macduff What will you do with him?
Egham If we keep him hostage maybe we can get the Queen to negotiate.
He is their cause.
It’s time to end it.
Siward draws his sword to kill the boy.
Siward hesitates.
He can’t kill the boy.
Scottish Boy [You can’t kill me.]
Siward What did he say?
Macduff He says you can’t kill him.
Boy Soldier Sir.
I can do it.
Siward No.
Siward brings his sword down on the Boy’s neck.
Scottish Boy [Mother.]
Siward cuts the boy again.
Scottish Boy [Mother.]
Siward What does he say?
Macduff He’s calling for his mother.
Siward finishes him off.
The Scottish Boy dies.
*
The Great Hall.
Malcolm on the throne.
Siward enters.
Siward The Queen’s son is dead.
Siward With the son dead there is now no Moray claim to the throne. It’s pointless for the chiefs to support her. Her surrender is inevitable. I’ll make a proclamation.
Malcolm Yes.
Do.
Do that.
…
Siward.
Did you order the boy’s head to be put on a stick?
Siward Yes.
Malcolm The one in the castle yard?
Siward Yes.
Malcolm That stick?
Siward Yes.
Malcolm I think you’d better take it down.
Siward Why?
Malcolm It doesn’t look good.
Siward I don’t understand.
Malcolm The Moray do not accept that the dead boy is hers.
Siward What?
Malcolm They say the Queen’s son escaped from Glen Lyon.
Siward No one escaped from Glen Lyon.
Malcolm That’s what they’re saying.
Siward They? Who?
Siward People?
Malcolm Everyone.
Siward The boy confessed. He’s dead. The head is proof.
Malcolm Whatever that head is, Siward – it isn’t proof.
Siward A knife is a knife, a neck is a neck.
He’s dead.
Malcolm I think it’s more likely that by killing this boy you have given him eternal life.
He will come back. He’ll be seen in Orkney, or in some hall in Norway, he’ll come back from slavery in Ireland, or be found on the islands. As long as I’m on the throne, the Queen’s son will haunt me until one day death takes me and even if I die alone in my bed there will be people who will say – the Queen’s son did it.
Scotland does not accept his death.
Putting a head on a pole just makes me look like … a peasant in a room full of theologians.
Siward Some boy exists.
Existed.
Some boy came out of her womb.
I think that boy was that boy.
And that boy is dead.
Malcolm Mmm.
Siward Malcolm, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to think hard. Find the best words you can – the clearest. Find the words which best match the world as it is out there – outside Dunsinane’s walls.
Will this country ever be at peace?
Malcolm Not in the way that you want it to be.
Siward One word.
Malcolm Mmm.
Siward …
Malcolm You seem to think peace is a natural state, Siward, and conflict its interruption, but the truth is the exact opposite. Peace is what the sea looks like in a dead calm – a rare and beautiful moment – something impossible – a glimpse of perfection before the wind comes back again.
You can no more force peace into existence than you can wander across the surface of the sea stamping the waves flat.
Look.
Above the hills, grey cloud.
The snow’s coming.
It’s time to let the war sleep for the winter.
You’re tired, Siward.
Appoint a new commander.
No more fighting now.
Take the boy’s head down from the pole.
*
The castle yard.
Soldiers take the boy down from the pole.
Siward gives Egham his armour.
Siward Gather the army to Dunsinane and winter them here. You know well enough what to do. Unless you hear word from our own King you answer to Malcolm. If it’s a matter of war, Macduff will advise you.
You are England now.
Look after them.
Macduff I’ve arranged for a troop of my men to accompany you.
Siward I’ll take the boy.
No more.
Macduff You’ll need more for the journey to England.
Siward I’m not going to England.
Egham Where are you going?
Siward I’m going to find the Queen.
Siward and the Boy Soldier leave Dunsinane to look
for the Queen.
Siward lifts the dead boy’s body onto his back.
The English army prepare their camp for winter. Snow falls.